IAU - INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ULTRARUNNERS

International 1000 Miles Track Championships Nanango

March 11 - 26 at Nanango Showgrounds

Ron Grant has recently conceded that the up-coming
1000 miles championships to be held in Nanango March 11 -
26 rightly deserve the title "Footrace of the Century".
That was the title given to the '96 race but so much has
happened since. Gary Parson's own world record mark has been
bettered no fewer than 5 times to date and the 5 runners
who achieved this feat are lining up in the field of 19
to contest this race.

The second placegetter in '96, Alfredo Uria of Spain, 5 months
after returning home bettered Gary's mark by almost 2 hours
in Baracaldo. In October that same year in Odessa, Vladimir
Vasyoutin lowered that mark by three hours and in the same
race Vladimir Glazkov shaved off a further hour.
The fastest man over this distance is Georgs Jermolajevs
who set a new mark in New York last year. The current world
record holder is Petras Silkinas from Lithuania who almost
broke the 12 day mark in Odessa in October. With such a
star-studded field the current talk is that the 12 day
barrier will definitely be broken.

This race has already achieved a number of firsts.
It will be the world's first IAU International 1000 miles
track championships and Australia's first ultra marathon
international championships. Also contesting the event will
be Tony Rafferty, the previous world record holder before
Gary Parsons and on the sidelines as an interested observer
will be Malcolm Campbell, the president of the world governing
body who held the world record in 185 having broken a 100
year old record. The incomparable Cliff Young who celebrated
his 76th birthday last week is a goer and is out to break
every aged world record in the book.

The venue for this historic event will now be the Showgrounds
due to QRL restrictions at the Football oval.

We still need people to crew for the overseas and interstate
runners for a few hours each day, as well as lapscorers to
help out during daylight hours. Lapscoring from dusk to dawn
is generously done by the personnel from the Joint Telecomm-
unications School at Cabarlah. The offer of billets for
overseas runners for a few days before and after the event
would be most welcome, and we still require the loan of some
caravans for the overseas competitors.

If you can assist in any way whatsoever please contact Shirley
or Peter on 631005 or 631387 - we would love to hear from
you.

Adequate catering facilities and licenced bar will be
provided throughout the event.

Shirley Warner - Promotions manager
Peter Warner - Race Director

RUNNER PROFILE

Georgs Jermolajevs - Latvian. Born 17.11.42. The fastest man
over 1000 miles (road) 12d.Olh.25m.47s - 1997 New York.
1996 - 2700 miles in 40d.11h.49m.07s. Married to Anna,
daughter Liva.

Peter Gray - Australian. Born 04.10.64.Demolition worker.
The youngest man in the world to complete 100 Ultra-marathons.
The first and youngest Australian to complete 100 ultra-runs
and 100 marathons. Winner - Colac 6 days 1997.
Lives with his greatest supporter and mother, Norma.

Chilla Nasmyth - Australian. Born 07.12.46. Self-employed.
100 miles 18h.30m.03s. With the exception of the '87 & '90
Syd/Mel. races he has never finished worse than 4th. in all
ultra-marathon events contested. Married to Sofia - 2 grown
children and Jayne who is 4 years old.